• Sounding the same note as before, WHO says that clean hands are a token of care, safety, and respect. This World Handwashing Day 2025, the message conveyed to the whole planet is unequivocal: the ones who have clean hands and a careful glove use are the safest people to be around with—not only to patients but also to health workers and the planet.

On every October 15, the entire globe unites to celebrate World Handwashing Day, a day that recalls the fact that clean hands are life savers.World Health Organization (WHO) continues to be the front runner of this 17th worldwide campaign SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands in 2025.

Emphases of the year are put largely on the hand hygiene, which is greatly related to the use of gloves, and two leading infection prevention and control (IPC) methods that go hand in hand.

Medical gloves, in most cases, are used by health care workers during procedures, so the gloves are the safety tools not only for patients but also for the workers. Nevertheless, gloves can be contaminated as easily as unprotected hands, and gloves are not a substitute for a proper hand hygiene.

WHO says that one should take off the gloves immediately after use, for example, after touching the patient, and then clean the hands following WHO’s 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene. This simple but very important routine leads to lessening the spread of viruses and to safer care environments.

According to WHO, hand hygiene should always be maintained as the most protective means for both patients and health workers even if gloves are worn. Millions of clean hands are lifesavers every year because they are the main infection preventers in healthcare settings.

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The organization has issued a challenge to all countries to elevate the status of hand hygiene compliance monitoring and feedback to lead national health indicators by 2026. The challenge has been currently met by only 68% of countries, which is a call for further efforts in implementing strong policies and continuous awareness campaigns to this end.

As well, the environmental impact of abundant glove use has become another matter of concern and is on the rise. The excessive use of disposable gloves is one major contributor to healthcare waste, which then becomes a problem for the waste management system and the environment.

An average university hospital, according to the studies, produces over 1,600 tons of healthcare waste yearly, with a 2–3% annual growth rate, especially after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. WHO issues a caution that if one uses a glove when it is not necessary for a medical purpose, then resources are being wasted, and the risk of germ transmission is not reduced.

The optimal use of gloves together with proper hand hygiene provides the best solution of infection control and environmental care.

In 2025, the World Hand Hygiene Day tie-ups with the broader objectives of the WHO Global  Framework for Action 2024–2030 that considers Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) as well as waste management as aspects of healthcare systems. The framework stresses that not only safe and hygienic daily routines are indispensable for patient care but also a means to address the connection between climate change and health.

Healthcare workers, policymakers, and institutions are the main addressees of the WHO year-long campaign message to return to the day one and the tenets of clean care. Paramount objectives are the promotion of the best hand hygiene habits, a confirmation that hand hygiene is indispensable in national IPC strategies, and an elevation in the level of understanding about the environmental impact of the glove waste among the public.

Sounding the same note as before, this World Handwashing Day 2025, the message conveyed to the whole planet is unequivocal: the ones who have clean hands and a careful glove use are the safest people to be around with—not only to patients but also to health workers and the planet.

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